Sterilizing apparatus.



J. W. OPFUTT.

STERILIZING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED 1320.10, 1909.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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STEBIILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DB0. 1o. 1909.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOFI WITNESSES J. W. OFFUTT.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED DB0. 1o, 1909.

1,046,842. Patented De.1o,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOR J. W. OFFUTT.

STBRILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. l0, 1909.

Patented Dec. 1'0, 1912.

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uNrrED sfrnrnsmrnrnur JOHN W. OFFUTT, OF ELLWOOD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA',ASSIGNOB, OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN NICHOLSON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

srEnrLIzING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

Application mea December 1o, 1909. serial No. 532,390.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Vania, have invented a new'and useful Sterilizing Apparatus, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference l beinghad to the accompanying drawings,

forming part of this specification.

My lnvention has relation to sterilizing: apparatus, and moreparticularly to appa' ratus for sterilizing water.

matically regulated.

A further object is to provide a sterilizer of this kind, in which theonly regulationf necessary is heat regulation; which will bef economicalin operation; which will afford a constant supply of sterilized water;and also to provide apparatus of this character which will deliversterilized water only a few degrees warmer than the water supply.

The nature of my invention will be bestz understood from theaccompanying draw' ings, in which I have shown dierent forms thereof,and which will now be described, it

being premised, however, that the invention vis susceptible to otherembodiments, and

that various changes may be made in the de tails of construction andarrangement of the parts by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appendedclaims.A

In the drawings Figure 1v is a side elevation partly in section andpartly broken away of one form of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig.2 is a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1 on a larger scale andpartially broken away; Fig. 34 is a detail sectional view showing amodification; Fig. 4 is a View partly in side elevation and partly insection, and partly broken away showing another modification; Fig. 5 isa section on the line V--V of Fig. 4 and partly broken away; andFig. 6is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another modification.

Referring first to the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thenumeral 2 vdesignates a casing, preferably of sheet metal,

tirely through the outer tube. After the inner tube is placed within theouter tube in the construction of the apparatus, the outer tube 1scorrugated or roped in the manner mdlcated in the drawing, therebybringing the outer tube in contact with the inner tube 1n a number ofhelical lines, leaving intervening spaces in the form of helicalpassages f'or .the circulation of the water or other hquid to besterilized. The coil is then formed in any desired shape and size. Theobjects of my invention are to provide asimple and compact, cheap andeiiicient form of apparatus for sterilizing. water, in which the iow ofwater is autoi inner tubes, as shown in Fig. 2, but the outer The coil 3is connected at its lower end by a tting 6 with another coil 7 which isp laced above a burner or other heating device 8. This coil alsoconsists of outer and tube is not corrugated. The inner tube 9 forms acontinuation of the inner tube 5, and lts' inner end, which terminatesat the inner end of the coil 7, is open, as indicated at 9.

l() designates a water supply connection which communicates with theouter end of the heating coil by means of a coupling 11.

The inner tube 5 extends through this coupling, and communicates with adischarge pipe 12 through a valve casing 13 having a control valve 14therein. The stem of this valve is extended outwardly through the cap13a of the casing, and enters a diaphragm chamber 15 having therein adiaphragm 16. Connecting with the portion of the diaphragm chamber abovethe diaphragm is a thermostat tube 17, whose lower end is extended intothe coil 7 through the coupling or fitting 6. This thermostat tube iscarried around through the convolutions of the coil 7, as shown in Fig.2, and its lower end is closed as indicated at 17 in Fig. 2. This tubeand the diaphragm chamber are filled with water or other liquid, andwhen thevapparatus is not in operation it is under no pressure. l Theoperation isas follows The water enters the heating coil throu h thecoupling 11 and circulates through t e helical' passages between' theinner and outer tubes, flowing downwardly until it 'reaches the innerend of the lower coil 7. It then enters the open end of the inner tube 9and passes back through said tube to the regulating valve 14. By meansof heat applied to the coil 7, the water in this coil is brought to aboiling temperature; and assuming that the water supply is underordinary service pressure the temperature will rise above 212 derees.The water or other liquid in the iermostatic tube, being under nopressure, 'ill be turned into steam, thus Setting up a rcssure. Thispressure acts on the diahragm 16, and thereby actuates the valve ein-toopen the valve 14, allowing the water i pass through to the dischargepipe 12. his causes a How in the heating coil, and s soon as this flowbegins, cold water connues to pass through the outer tube and 1e heatedWater to flow upward through the mer tube, the heated water giving upthe reater part of its heat tothe niowing cold ater. In this manner thesterilized water ischarged is at a temperature but little igher thanthat of the incoming supply ater. When the water in the coil drops inunperature, the liquid in the thermostatic ibe will be cooled H, thusreleasing the ressure of the diaphragm chamber and nlsing the valve 14to close.

In practice, it is found that when the gas ipply is keptconstant, thevalve 14 w1ll ad- ,ist itself to the proper flow, and the iow of 'ateris substantially constant. The helical ath provided by the corrugatingof the uter pipe not only h olds the incoming v'ater wit-hin the coilsand increases the area f contact with the heated inner tube; but ,1ehelical passages exert a centrifugal ac- Lon on the flowing water, whichresults in a lore uniform heating. The casing 2 serves i confine theheat and also give the device better appearance. It will be understood,owever, that the heating coil may be uninlosed if desired, or that anysuitable form f closure may be provided therefor; and lso that the formof heating coil may be aried asmay be desired.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, intead of roping or corrugating theouter ube or pipe 4a of the heating coil, I wind ie inner pipe or tube 5with a helical wire b, this wire serving not only to center the .merpipe or tube within the outer one, butv lso forms helical passages forthe water.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and the construction is the same asthat shown a Fig. 1 except that I provide a sediment eservoir 18. Thisreservoir may be placed djacent to the casing 2a, and may be conectedwith an extension 7a of the lower coil in the manner shown in Figs. 4and 5. Vithin the reservoir 18 I preferably provide series of concentrictubes or baies 19 so s to cause a longer path for the circulation f theliquid therein, as shown by the rrows. The inner pipe or tube of theheatng coil is also provided with an extension 0, which communicateswith the interior f the sediment reservoir, so that the Water fterflowing u and down between the sevral tubes or iiaiiies 19 finallyenters this pipe and passes back through the heating coils. I have foundthat by 'providing this reservoir, the water is allowed to cool somewhattherein, which causes a precipitation or deposit of the containedsediment. This reservoir may be provided with Suit-able doors or othermeans so that the bafies 19 can be readily removed and accesshad to theinterior for cleaning whenever desired.

In the modication shown in Fig. 6, I have shown a somewhat differentconstruction. In this form,'I provide a 4casing composed of an innershell 21 and an outer shell 22 with an annular space 23 between theshells. In this space I place' a helical heatingcoil 24, which has thecirculating connection 25 at one end. The other'end of the coil isv openand communicates with the space 23, a circula-ting connection 26 leadinginto said vspace through a removable cover 27. 28 designates athermostatic tube similar to the tube 17 first described, andwhichcontrols an outlet valve in the sa-me manner as shown in Fig. 1. Inthis construction water may either come in at the connection 25 andcirculate through the coil and thence rise. in the annular space 23 andbe disv charged at the connection 26; or the cold( water may enter at 26and pass downwardly around the coil and thence into the coil and bedischarged at the connection 25.

29 indicates a gas burner placed below the apparatus, the inner tube 21acting as a iiue or chimney. An outer inclosing casing 30 may also beprovided.

1. In sterilizing apparatus, a heating device comprising inner and outertubes formed into a coil having a helical passage between' them, asupplementary heating coil connected to the lower end of the first namedcoil, a valve for controlling the outlet from the inner tube, a.diaphragm for actuating said valve, and a thermostatic tube extendingfrom the diaphragm chamber linto the supplementary heating coil;substantially as described. n

. 2. In sterilizing apparatus, a heating device comprising a coilconsisting of inner and outer tubes, the outer tube being corrugated, asupplementary heating coil having an inner tube forming an extension ofthe tube of the first named coil, a valve for controlling the dischargefrom the inner tube, and' means extending within the supplementary coilfor controlling said valve; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

J. W. OFFUTT. Witnesses:

H. M. CoRWIN, GEO. H. PARMELEE.

